


Simple Gifts

by carolinecrane



Series: down is where we came from [10]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-23
Updated: 2010-09-23
Packaged: 2017-10-12 03:38:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/120344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolinecrane/pseuds/carolinecrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are some things you just have to do alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Simple Gifts

**Author's Note:**

> The self-indulgent prequel to cinderlily's [a secret that we keep](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/down_is_where_we_came_from/works/119641).

The clinic's one of those walk-in deals, no appointment required. Puck passes it on his way to work all the time, but he never really pays any attention to it until he's been sleeping with Kurt for a few weeks. He's always been safe -- if Babygate taught him anything, it was that protection really was as good an idea as they tried to teach them in Health class -- but he knows that doesn't necessarily _mean_ anything.

He's had his fair share of casual sex, after all, so the odds aren't exactly in his favor. And it's not like Kurt doesn't already know that too, so he must figure Puck's worth the risk, which is the whole reason he finds himself pulling into the clinic parking lot on his day off after a couple months of seeing Kurt pretty much every day.

They give him a bunch of forms to fill out and send him to the waiting room with a clipboard. The cheap plastic chairs aren't even close to comfortable, but he parks himself in one anyway and glances around. There's a girl in the corner who doesn't look so hot, and Puck wonders what her story is, but he's not about to ask. A couple guys are sitting a few chairs down, leaning close and whispering and Puck figures they're probably a couple.

He wonders briefly if he should have dragged Kurt along with him, made this one of those official couples things like those other guys, just so they'd both be on the same page. But this feels more like one of those things he needs to do alone, like he needs this to prove to himself that he really is good enough for Kurt. That he's changed enough in the past four years to erase all that shit that went down when they were kids.

And yeah, okay, he's not going to deny that the idea of fucking Kurt bareback has its appeal, but he wouldn't even ask if he didn't already know this is it for him. He thinks maybe he should feel weird about that, considering his track record with commitment. Then again, he figures Kurt knows everything about him, good and bad, and he hasn't made a break for it yet, so he's probably not planning on going anywhere either.

He fills out form after form about his medical history, his sex life, and the medications he may or may not be taking, then he hands the stack of papers over to the harassed-looking chick behind the desk. Once she's done copying his license and taking his money -- way too much of it, but it's not like the bar has an insurance plan -- he parks himself in the same chair to wait his turn.

There's another guy in the lobby now, filling out his own stack of papers. He glances up and catches Puck's eye, gives him one of those slow smiles that can't be anything but a come-on. Puck wants to laugh, because seriously, who tries to hook up in a walk-in clinic? But he knows damn well if the guy had given him that look a few months ago, he would have considered it.

Today he doesn't even think twice, just gives the guy a tight-lipped smile and turns his head in the other direction. And it's not like he doesn't appreciate the attention, but he still sort of wishes he had a ring to wear, something to let people know he's taken. He thinks about it sometimes at work, when he's getting hit on by strangers he probably would have considered before Kurt came along. Sure, it would cut down on his tips some, but he figures it's a fair trade-off.

His phone vibrates in his pocket and he fishes it out of his jeans, glancing at the screen and smiling when he sees Kurt's name. "Hey, babe. Shouldn't you be working?"

"I'm working," Kurt says, and Puck grins at the little huff in his voice. "I can steam press and talk to you at the same time. Besides, it's not like they pay me for my blood, sweat and tears."

"I thought it was about the learning experience or whatever," Puck says, just to annoy him. He's heard Kurt's 'I've got more practical experience than any of these bitches' speech at least a dozen times, but he doesn't really mind. He likes it better when Kurt starts ranting while they're in the same room, because it means Puck can drag him close while he's distracted and mouth his way along Kurt's skin until he's too relaxed to keep talking.

He can't use his hands and his mouth to distract Kurt when they're on the phone, but he's okay with that too, because he likes listening to the sound of Kurt's voice. Likes picturing the high, bright spots of red on Kurt's cheeks, the way his lips purse at the end of each sentence like he can't _believe_ what his life has come to.

Puck grins at the image and leans back in his chair, legs planted wide apart and head back to picture Kurt moving around the giant workroom at his internship, thinking about Puck until he couldn't stand it anymore and dug out his cell phone just to hear Puck call him 'babe'.

Kurt's not really a pet name kind of guy, but Puck doesn't mind. It's enough that he can say Puck's name a hundred different ways, breathing out _Noah_ like a prayer or using it as a threat. His favorite is the way Kurt makes it sound fucking filthy, like the worst kind of swear word. Usually that only happens when he's naked and well-fucked and still demanding more, voice dropping low and grinding out Puck's name until Puck gives him what he wants.

Just thinking about it makes Puck's cock twitch, and he considers blowing off the clinic and getting back on his bike to drive across town and drag Kurt out of the workroom so they can go home and get horizontal.

"What are you doing, anyway?"

He thinks about telling Kurt where he is. It's not like it's something to be ashamed of; it's pretty thoughtful of him, really, and Kurt deserves to know exactly what an awesome boyfriend he is. But according to the chick behind the desk it's going to take about a week to get the results of his tests, and if he tells Kurt he'll just spend the entire week pretending not to freak out, and that'll just make Puck freak out.

"I'm shopping for your Hanukkah present," he says instead.

"If you try to make me open porn in front of my father I swear I will never speak to you again."

Puck has to stifle a laugh at that, because yeah, he'd totally buy Kurt porn.

"I wouldn't do that to your dad," he says, grinning at the audible huff on the other end of the line. "Anyway, it's a surprise, and it's fucking awesome, so you better get me something good."

"Please. I'm a very thoughtful gift giver."

"I believe it," Puck says, grinning into the receiver as he imagines Kurt freaking out on the other end of the line, suddenly panicking at the thought of having to top whatever Puck's getting him. And until that moment Puck hadn't been thinking of this as a gift, but he figures if the results are good it's close enough to Hanukkah to save them.

It means waiting a little longer to toss the condoms, but he's pretty sure he can be patient. Maybe.

"Are you really picking out my gift?"

"Babe," Puck says, just because he likes to picture the way Kurt's ears go pink when Puck says it. "Would I lie about something like that?"

"Definitely."

Puck thinks about pretending to be offended, but before he gets the chance a door on the other side of the room swings open and a nurse says his name. "Gotta go. I'll swing by and pick you up when I'm done, okay?"

"Wait," Kurt says, "you're not getting a tattoo, are you?"

Puck just grins and hangs up on him. And he hasn't thought about a tattoo, but now that Kurt mentions it, it's not a bad idea. It's not a ring or anything, but it's a start.


End file.
